1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an automatic record player for playing disc records of the type, hereinafter referred to as the type specified, comprising a deck plate, a turntable rotatably mounted on the deck plate and driven in use, by an electric motor, a centre spindle extending upwardly from the centre of the turntable to support a stack of records above the turntable and from which records are fed singly in succession from the bottom of the stack on to the turntable and a pick-up arm, pivotally mounted for movement about a horizontal axis on the upper end of a vertical spindle, the vertical spindle being pivotally mounted for movement about a vertical axis relative to the deck plate, a drive gear rotatably mounted on the deck plate, and means for rotating the drive gear during a record changing cycle, after playing a record, which includes pivoting the pick-up arm about said horizontal axis to raise the pick-up arm to disengage the pick-up from the record, then pivoting the vertical spindle to swing the pick-up arm outwardly to a position clear of the path of downward movement of the next record to be played, then releasing the lowermost record from the stack to drop onto the turntable, then pivoting the vertical spindle about said vertical axis to swing the pick-up arm inwardly to position the pick-up over the edge of the record to be played and then pivoting the pick-up arm to engage the pick-up with the record.
2. Summary of the Invention
An object of the present invention is to provide a new or improved record player of the type specified, and including means to automatically switch off the record player.
According to the present invention we provide an automatic record player for playing disc records of different sizes comprising a deck plate, a motor, a turntable rotatable on the deck plate and driven, in use, by the motor, a centre spindle extending upwardly from the centre of the turntable, a control member movable within the center spindle to cause records to be fed singly in succession from the bottom of a stack supported on the spindle on to the turntable, a pick-up arm pivotally mounted for movement above a horizontal axis on the upper end of a vertical spindle, the vertical spindle being pivotally mounted for movement about a vertical axis relative to the deck plate, a drive gear rotatably mounted on the deck plate, means for rotating the drive gear by the motor during a record changing cycle, record change means driven from the drive gear to move the control member and to cause pivotal movement of the pick-up arm about said horizontal axis and of said vertical spindle about said vertical axis, a selector plate provided at the lower end of the vertical spindle, a selector latch mounted on the deck plate, the selector plate and latch having selectively inter-engageable abutments and the selector latch being movable, by said record change means, from a first position, in which free movement of the selector plate is permitted, into a second position for inter-engagement between desired abutments to limit pivotal movement of the selector plate, switch-off means to switch-off the record player, actuating means to actuate and switch-off means comprising a trip latch movable from a first to a second position in dependence upon the resistance to movement of the control member of the centre spindle, the resistance being determined by the presence of at least a predetermined number of records on the spindle, a cut-out latch mounted on the selector latch for movement relative thereto, a trip element, operated when the trip latch is in said second position, to position the selector latch in a third position so that during a last record changing cycle at the end of playing the last record said cut-out latch is in position for engagement with an abutment portion of the record change means so that movement of the abutment portion displaces the cut-out latch so that a portion thereof is moved into position to actuate the switch-off means when the selector latch is moved to said first position by said record change means.
The centre spindle may be an umbrella type spindle.
In this specification the term "umbrella spindle" is intended to mean a centre spindle comprising an elongate body, adapted at its one, lower end to be fitted to a record player, having a record supporting means movable to an extended position to support a stack of records and a retracted position allowing the lowermost, or the last, record of the stack to descend along the spindle and record retaining means movable between an extended position temporarily to support the remainder of the stack during descent of the lowermost record thereof and a retracted position to permit free passage of records along the spindle.
Preferably the centre spindle is as described in our co-pending British application No. 3373/72, Cognate No. 16498/72.